Edward phife



' E. PHIFER.

Wheel-Cultivator;

Patented May 7. 1867.

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N. PETEns. PHOTO-LIYHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D c.

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EDWARD PHIFER, 0F TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent No. 64,563, dated dfag 7, 1867.

GU'LTIVATOR.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Be it known that I, EDWARD Futures, ofTrenton, in the county of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, andin which Figure l is a plan or top view,

Figure 2, a side elevation, and

Figure 3 a rear elevation of my improyed cultivator.

Figure 4: is a view of the slotted adjusting plates which combine thetongue and frame-pieces.

Two wheels, B O, revolve loosely on an axle, A, upon which a tongue, D,is secured by a loop embracing the axle loosely enough to permit thetongue to be moved laterally thereon. A drivers seat, 1*, is mountedupon the rear end of the tongue, which projects a shortdistance behindthe axle. The frame is composed of four short beams, G H I K, arrangedon the axle in pairs, on each side of and parallel to the tongue. Theseframepieces are of a length less than the diameter of thedriving-wheels, and are provided near their. centre. with loops orstaples 2', which embrace the axles loosely enough to permit them toslide thereon, to adjust the beams laterally, and may be provided withscrews and nuts to tighten the loops on the axle. The front ends of'these beams are connected with each other and with the tongue bymetallic strips or braces, E E E having slots, 0, at each end. Thecentral brace E is bolted fast to the under side of the tongue at D, itsslotted ends coinciding with and overlapping the inner slotted ends ofthe outer braces E E, which are secured to the under-side of theirrespective beams by set screws e, passing through these slots, and theouter ends of the braces E E are I also screwed to the outer braces byset-screws passing through their ends in like manner. By this means theframe-pieces can be adjusted nearer to or farther from each other, orfrom the tongue, as required. A downhanger, L, is secured to the frontof each frame-piece, and is forked at its lower end to receive the frontend of a drag-bar, M, which is pivoted to a horizontal pin, O, whichplays in a vertical slot, 2', in the down-hanger, being raised orlowered by a rod, P, passing through the frame timber, and provided witha screw andnut, p, or equivalent device for holding it in any desiredposition. By this means the front end of the drag-bars can be raised orlowered at will. The rear end Ref each drag-bar is connected by apivoted link-rod, S, to a lug, 8, which is secured by a set-screw to aslotted cross-bar, Q. The cross-bar is secured to a hand-lever, W, whichis pivoted'to lugs and the plates E E so as to play vertically andparallel to a sector-plate or rack, V. These sectors are secured to theaxle at their rear ends by loops, while their front ends are secured totheir respective front plates E E The sectors are provided with notchesto hold the lever W in different positions as desired. A catch-lever, W,passes through a slot in the lever, and has a lip or projection, 11, onitsinner side, which serves both as a guide for the lever, to keep itparallel to the sector, and as a detent to hold it in position. Thesecatches are operated by elbow-levers W, pivoted to the lifting-lever,and held in position by a spring on the hand-lever. By this means thedriver can raise or lower the ploughs and hold them in anydesiredposition. Each of the stocks M is curved downward, and forked at itsrear ends so as to form a slot in which the plough shank is pivoted by apin, y, passing horizontally through the plough and stock so as "toallow the plough to play vertically. Another pin, 3 is passedthrough theplough-shank to hold the tooth firmly to its work, but

this pin y is made of wood in order that when an obstruction isencountered the pin will break and allow the tooth to yield by swingingon its pivot :c, and thus avoid injury to the plough-tooth.

By my invention I can adjust the frame beams which sustain the ploughslaterally on the axle either singly or in pairs. The front ends of thedrag-bars can be raised or lowered in the down-hangers to vary the lineof draught at the angle of the drag-bars to the ground, while theploughs can be raised or lowered and held in any desired position by thehand-lever and spring detcn't, and at the same time I secure a light,short frame. The tongue can also be adjusted laterally if desired. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A cultivator-frame, composed of a series of timbers shorter than thediameter of the wheels, and arranged parallel to the tongue,substantially as described. i

2. The combination, substantially in the manner described, of e tonguelaterally adjustable on the axle,

'ith a series of frame timbers of a length less than the diameter of thewheels, arranged parallel to the tongue, nd adjustable laterally on themain axle.

3. The combination, substantially in the manner described, of the tongueand short parallel frame timbers, 'ith a series of slotted adjustingplates attached to the front of the frame timbers and secured to thetongue.

4. The combination, substantially in the manner described, of theparallel frame-pieces arranged for adjustient in pairs, with the slotteddown-hangers, front lifting-rods, and drag-bars, for the purpose ofadjusting the rout ends of' the drag-bars.

5. The combination of the frame-pieces, down-hangers, drag-bars,lifting-rods, hand levers, and sector rack, hen arranged substantiallyas described, for the purpose of enabling the driver to control eachpair of ploughs y a single lever.

G. The arrangement of the sector rack, hand-lever, and spring detent asdescribed, whereby the catch acts 0th as a detent for the lever and-asa. guide to keep it parallel with the sector rack.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDWARD IIIIFER.

Witnesses! DAVID Bmsmn, WM. 13. DAYTON.

